Insurgent groups from Myanmar trying to enter India: Army chief

By Ahmad Adil

NEW DELHI (AA) – Amid conflict in Myanmar, some of the insurgent groups are attempting to enter the northeastern state of Manipur in India, the country’s army chief said Thursday, calling it a matter of “concern.”

“Because of the situation across the Indo-Myanmar border, we also have some of the insurgent groups who are feeling the pressure and who have now attempted to come onto our side of the border in the state of Manipur,” General Manoj Pande told reporters in the capital New Delhi.

Manipur shares a border with Myanmar, which is entangled in an internal ethnic conflict, while the Indian state witnessed ethnic clashes last year, which resulted in the deaths of at least 180 people and affected thousands of others.

Noting that the situation at the “Indo-Myanmar border is of concern to us,” the top army official said the force has “strengthened our posture and deployment” on the India-Myanmar border.

About 416 Myanmar army personnel have walked into the Indian side of the border because of the "activities of the Myanmar Army and the ethnic armed organization and the PDF (People's Defense Force),” he added.

The army chief hinted at cementing the fence along the Indo-Myanmar border, which is currently only in Manipur, saying: “The issue of fences in other states is again something which is under consideration.”

At least three ethnic armed groups, which united under the so-called Brotherhood Alliance, have been fighting the junta regime to take control in the northern parts of Myanmar since late October.

The groups are attacking junta forces, which rule the Buddhist-majority Southeast Asian nation, capturing many towns and junta outposts.

Many people have been reported killed during the attacks.

There were injuries reported across into Chinese province of Yunnan due to shelling from the Myanmar side, triggering a protest by Beijing.

The Chinese military also held military drills in Yunnan province after the armed fighting began across its border in October.

Myanmar has been under junta rule since February 2021 and the military, locally known as Tatmadaw, has faced severe resistance from ethnic groups in many regions of the country.

Last month, China said the warring parties in northern Myanmar had reached a cease-fire agreement with Myanmar’s ruling junta after mediation efforts by Beijing. However, the cease-fire seems to have failed.